Snubbing means for railway car truck springs



May 19, 1953 G E, DATH 2,638,853

SNUBBING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRINGS Filed Feb. 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sme#I l /Y i g m i '5 820 2o /6 I6 E f7 28 24 25 26 s-ln 3. VII/III @www May' 19, 1953 G. E. DATH 2,638,853

SNUBBING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRINGS Filed Feb. 27, 1950 2 Sheecs-Sheeil 2 Patented May 19, i 1953 SNUBBING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR TRUCK SPRINGS George E. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assigner to W. H.

Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Dela- Wavre Application February 27, 1950, Serial No. 146,538

This invention relates toimprovements in fricticnfmeans for snubbing or dampening the action of truck springs of railway cars.l

One object of the invention is to provide in a railway car truck, means for snubbing the'action of the truck springs, comprising relatively laterally separable side'members having their outward movement resisted by rubber cushioning elements buttressed against the truck side frame, and a top spring followery plate supported on the truck springsandbearing on the underneath side of the truck bolster, wherein the spring follower plate has Sliding frictional engagement with the side members on inclined faces to spread the same apart against the rubber `cushioning elements.v

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear fromthe description and claims hereinafter following. v

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical ,sectional view, partly broken away, of a truck side frame and the cooperating bolster of a railway car truck,z with the truckpsprings omitted. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, partly broken away, corresponding substantially to the line 2 2 of Figure 1,vwith the truck` Springs shown in plan.v Figure 3 is a side elevational view,v on a reduced scale, of the truck side frame shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the top spring follower plate shown in Figure l, looking from left to right in said figure. Figure 5 is an elevational view of the side member at the right hand side of Figure 2, looking from left to right in said figure. Figure 6 is a top plan view of the right hand end portion of the structure shown in Figure 5. Figure '7 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of the bottom spring follower plate shown in Figure 2.

In said drawings, IG indicates one of the side frame members of a railway car truck. The side frame member IIJ is of the usual well-known design, having top and bottom, horizontal members II and I2, connected by vertically disposed sections I3-I3. As will be understood by those skilled in this art, the truck includes two side frame members IIJ-I0, a truck bolster I4 supported by the truck springs, mounted in the side frames at opposite sides of the truck. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the vertical sections I3-I3 of each side frame present guides I5-I 5 at opposite sides of the bolster I4 on which the latter is vertically slidable.

As shown in the drawings, my improved snubbing means is in the form of a unit mounted in '2 Claims.` (Cl. 105--197) 2 each truck side frame member, and each unit comprises broadly a topspring follower plate A, a bottom spring follower plate B, a pair of side members O O, a Atruck spring cluster D, and a pair of rubber pads E-E.

In carrying out my invention, as illustrated in the drawings, I provide inwardly opening pockets IG-IB in the lower portions of each side frame member, at opposite sides of the spring space of Said Side frame member. Each pocket I6 is defined by a vertical back wall I1, horizontal top and bottom .walls I8 and I 9, and vertical side walls Ztl- 20.

The bottom spring follower plate B rests on the horizontal bottom wall. I9 of the side frame and supports the spring cluster D, which, as shown, is composed of four coil spring units. 'Ihe follower plate Bis provided with the usual upstanding spring centering projections 2I-2I, which are ,engaged in the bottom ends of the springs of the cluster D. At opposite ends, the spring follower plate B is provided with transversely extending, upturned, right angular flanges 22-22, which form guides for the side members C C.

The two side members C-C are of similar design, andare arranged respectively at opposite sides of the spring opening of the side frame. Each side member C comprises a transversely extending, vertical plate section 23, having right angular, inwardly projecting wing portions 24-24 at opposite ends. The inner edge of each wing portion 24 is inclined upwardly and outwardly toward the corresponding vertical section I 3 of the side frame, the inclined edge portion being thickened, as indicated at 25, and vertically grooved to provide a guideway 2S, presenting an inclined back wall providing a friction surface or wedge surface 21. Each side member C projects into the pocket I 6 at the corresponding side of the side frame and is guided for horizontal movement on the bottom wall I9 lof said pocket and the corresponding ange 22 of the bottom spring follower plate B, the lower edge of each wing portion 24 being provided with a thickened section 28, which has a horizontal guide groove 29 formed therein for said flange 22. The interengaged fianges 22-22 and grooves 29-29 of the bottom spring follower plate and the side members C-C prevent relative displacement of the members C-C and the bottom spring follower plate B transversely of the side frame, in addition to guiding the side members for lateral sliding movement. As will be evident, upon reference to Figure 2, each side member C is held against displacement transversely of the corresponding side frame by wing portions 24-24 thereof, which are guided between the side walls 243-20 of the corresponding pocket I6.

The rubber pads E-E are in the forms of rectangular blocks arranged within the pockets l6-I B of each bolster, between the platelike sections 23-23 of the .side members `-C---C' .and the back walls -ll-ll of .said pockets, respectively. As will be evident, the pads E-E yieldingly oppose lateral separation or spreading apart of the side members C`-C.

The top spring follower plate A comprises a central, platelike section 30 bearing on the 'underneath side of the bolster I4 :and :supported on the spring units of the spring ctuster `.D and dept-mdm ing right angular flanges or sections 3 I-3I at 0plposite ends of said plate like section. The flange sections 3 l-3 I lare tapered downwardly, as shown, that is, the side edges of the same zoom/erge downwardly, thereby providing wedge faces or surfaces 32-32. The tapered ange section .3l at each end .of the .spring follower .plate A forms a wedge-shaped projection, which is guided in the .guideways .2t- 25 of the wing portions .2A-2li at the corresponding ends -of 'the two .side .member-s C-C, with the wedge faces 'B2-32m wedgw ing engagement with .the wedge surfaces 2lb-2E .of ,said wing-members. The spring lfollower plate A is also provided with .the usual centering pron jections 33-33 ifo-r the springs of the cluster D.

The .operation Aof my imprsved tsnn'obing means is as follows.: Upon .relative approach of the ltruck bolster and the bottom members 2l2 of the side kframes .of the truck, the coils of .each spring cluster D are compressed between the top and bottom spring follower platesA and B, and the side kmembers C-C .are wedged apart by the wedge projections of the spring follower plate A, and forced against the rubber pads E-E to compress the latter. Due to the friction created between the wedge faces of the respective projections of the @plate A, .and .the wings 2li-24 of the side members C-C`., and the resistance afforded by the rubber pads E-E, the .actions of the spring cluster D are effectively snubbed.

I claim.:

.1. In a railway car truck, the combination with side frames provided with bolster guides, a truck bolster, and Ya springcluster supporting said bolster on each side frame; of pockets in .each side frame at opposite sides of the corresponding spring cluster, each pocket having a vertical inner wall; a rubber pad in each pocket buttressed against the inner wall thereof; l-aterally separable side members supported by each of said side frames at opposite sides of said spring cluster of said side frame, each side member including a platelike section bearing om the corresponding `rubber pad, and flanges at opspos'ite rends of said plate section extending inwardly therefrom and embracing said spring cluster therebetween; a topspring follower plate supported on said spring cluster and 'bearing on the underneath side of the bolster; and depending flanges on said top spring Iplatte in Weclging engagement with said first .named anges, fseid first and second named flanges having -irrterengaging guide `portions of tongue and groove `formation.

2. In a railway car truck, the combination with side iframes provided with bolster guides, a truck bolster, and a spring cluster supporting said bolster on each .side ltrarne; .of ,pockets .in Aeach ,side frame at `opposite sides of the corresponding spring cluster; a Lubbe-r pad in each pocket; laterally ,separable side members at opposite sides ,of said spring cluster of each side trame, each sid-e member :including a platelike section bearing `om the corresponding rubber pad, .and .anges at opposite ends of said 4plate .section .extending inwardly therefrom and .embracing ,said spring cluster therebetween; a 'bottom spring follower plate .supporting the spring cluster of each side frame on .said trame; upstanding guide flanges at .opposite ends of said bottom .spring plate;` a :top spring follower plate .supported on said spring cluster and bearing on the underneath side of the bolster; and depending flanges on .said 'top spring follower plate .in wedging engagement with said anges 'of said plate sections, .said iianges of said plate sections and said .anges of 4said top .and bottom spring iollower ,plates having interengagng guide portions of tongue and .groove formation.

GEORGE 1E. DATH.

References Cited in the file 'Of this 'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS "Name Date 'Light Jan. 9, i945 Jan. T116, 1945 

